Cinematography-Theory-And-Practice

IMAGE CONTROL AT THE LENSSome techniques with the lens are discussed in the chapter on ImageControl; in this chapter we deal with altering the image quality withthe lens and shutter only as they are relevant to this discussion ofvisual storytelling with the lens. There is a huge variety of visualeffects that can be achieved with just the selection of lenses, filters,flare, and similar effects, many of which are difficult or impossible toachieve in other ways.FiltrationModern lenses are remarkably sharp. For the most part this is whatwe want. In some cases, however, we are looking for a softer image.The most frequent reason is beauty. A softer image, especially of awoman’s face, will generally be prettier. A soft image may also bemore romantic, dreamlike, or, in a subjective shot, may translate to astate of mind less in touch with reality. Some cinematographers tendto think only of diffusion filters but a softer image can be achieved inmany different ways. More on this in the chapter Image Control.Soft LensesSome shooters use older lenses for an image that is subtly soft ina way that is difficult to achieve with filters. Soft lenses can give aslightly greater apparent depth-of-field. This is because the fall-offfrom critical sharpness is somewhat masked by the softness.Besides not being made with the latest computer-aided opticaldesign and manufacturing, older lenses also have less sophisticatedoptical coatings. The coating on lenses is there primarily to preventinternal flares and reflections, which slightly degrade and softenthe image. This can be seen clearly if the sun or other strong lightsource directly hits the lens. The internal flares and reflections arevery apparent in an old lens as compared to a modern one.Certainly the best-known recent use of this technique was thefilm Saving Private Ryan, where the filmmakers asked the Panavisioncamera company to remove the modern coatings off a set of lenses sothat they would more closely resemble the types of lenses that wereused in actual World War II combat photography.Figure 4.18. A high-angle shot alongwith a dramatic shaft of light andshadows creates a graphic compositionin Sin City.lens language63